Life Is Short...Eat Dessert First!

There are some places that are just wrong.  Places that you should stay away from, and you know it.  But, you go there anyway.  My mother's house is one such place.  Today, of all days, she'd been grocery shopping.  I went grocery shopping a couple of days ago, and except for a pack of my son's favorite chocolate chip cookies, I only bought healthy fare.  I love to eat healthy--my problem is that I eat healthy foods in unhealthy amounts.  My mom's house is a different story.  I headed to the kitchen, of course.  Isn't that what you do at your mom's house?  She quit drinking coffee awhile back, so the fresh pot is no longer there.  This used to be the only place I drank it, because I rarely make coffee myself.  I'm not that into it, but if it's there (and my mom makes really good coffee) I'll have a cup.  But no, no more coffee.  There is however plenty of dessert, because as much as she knows it's not good for her, she was only giving up one vice and sugar won.  Let's see...there's a chocolate pound cake, raspberry and cream cheese coffeecake (but still no coffee), and apple turnovers.  And ice cream.  And cola.  Oh yeah, she stocked up big time.  She threw in a couple of large bags of chips and a pack of ground beef, and no, it's not 85% lean or anywhere near that.  That meat is way too "dry" according to her.  I've been here for about six hours, eating all the wrong things and watching my 5th or 6th episode of "Family Feud".  I'm going to need a serious detox when I get out of here.

I tell my mother that she should cut down on the junk food, but she counters with the fact that she's healthier than I am.  She takes no medication, other than the occasional aspirin.  She no longer suffers with headaches,  has no blood pressure issues, no diabetes and no weight problem.  As far as any other ailments, we wouldn't know since she refuses to go to a doctor.  "All I need is my aspirin" she says.  She takes it for everything from a sniffle to a stiff knee.  At 87 years of age, I really can't argue.  She's in good shape, and aside from mild arthritis, she has no complaints.  So what do I know?  

I think being healthy is largely about your state of mind.  After all these years, she pretty much knows how to handle anything.  She's calm, she doesn't worry, she reads her Bible, prays, watches the Game Show network, takes her aspirin and eats dessert.  And she's happy.  Maybe Mother does know best.